Warmth
by Danielle Salvatore
Summary: Katniss and Peeta share a bed for the first time in months after Peeta's arrival to District 12. (Post Mockingjay) Short one-shot.


**A/N: Just a short Everlark drabble that takes place a few months after the end of Mockingjay and features the first time Katniss and Peeta share a bed together since he was hijacked. I hope it does Everlark justice :)**

It was very late at night when she heard it...the sound of thrashing and pleading coming from an almost hysterical voice.

Katniss bolted upright in bed, rubbing at her eyes tiredly. "Peeta?" The name escapes her lips in a soft voice, even though she knew he wouldn't be able to hear her all the way from the other room.

Receiving no response as she had expected, she quickly quickly got out of the bed, her bare feet making uncharacteristically loud noises as they pounded on the wood floor of the house, but she paid it no mind.

Once reaching the room that the familiar sound had been coming from, her gaze immediately landed on the image of Peeta very much locked in a restless sleep. Words such as "no" and "please" slipping through his lips at a very rapid and almost frightening pace.

Wasting no time, Katniss climbed on top of the bed and scooted herself closer to his thrashing body, putting a hand on his shoulder and shaking it roughly. "Peeta, wake up."

Her efforts proved to be futile at first, his violent movements and soft pleads not subsiding and she gritted her teeth in determination, giving him a few more ungentle shoves at his shoulders. "Peeta wake up!"

The loud, desperate order must have done the trick because all at once, Peeta's light blue eyes opened and flooded with coherency.

"Katniss?"

"You were having a nightmare," she responded, answering his unspoken question. She then silently watched as Peeta attempted to calm himself down, breathing deeply and pressing a hand to his own forehead.

"They haven't been that bad in days," Peeta murmured after a few moments. He spoke the words "a few days" as if it had been years since the last bad nightmare, but Katniss understood him. For them, a few days of semi-peaceful sleep was a blessing.

Wordlessly, Katniss began to slide herself under the covers and into the bed, lying down beside him.

Peeta glance up at her sharply and even in the darkness of the room she could see his slight panic clearly. "Katniss, no."

They hadn't tried to sleep in the same bed at all during the last three months they had spent in District 12 until now, having decided early on after Peeta arrived that they would stay in the same house, since the other's presence seemed to bring some comfort to both of them, but sharing a bed had been a line they had not yet crossed. Peeta was afraid he would have a relapse on his hijacking in the middle of the night.

She shook her head. "I want to be here for you."

"But..."

"I'm _not _leaving you," she said firmly. laying her head down as if to solidify that point.

Silence passed over the interior of the dark room but eventually, Peeta conceded with a sigh, lying back down onto the bed in a motion of defeat. "Alright."

Although she would have stayed no matter how hard he fought it, Katniss couldn't help but feel relieved that he wasn't going to make things too difficult. However, she _was _a bit frustrated at the knowledge that he was distancing himself from her...his backside turned towards her and his body as far away from hers as the bed would allow.

"Peeta," she whispered. "If you have a nightmare again, wake me up."

"Alright," he replied in an unconvincing tone.

Katniss frowned. "I mean it."

"I know. I promise I will Katniss but..." He sighed. "Just keep your distance for a while, okay? At least until I know i'm stable."

A part of Katniss wanted to argue with him...point out that he was here and that they wouldn't have released him if they thought he was still too dangerous but she didn't. Instead, she granted him at least some piece of mind. Hopefully enough to allow him at least one night of a nightmare-free sleep.

"Okay," she replied reluctantly, rolling onto her side and closing her eyes.

Despite the tension and distance, they both ended up having the best sleep they have had in months.

* * *

As sunlight seeped from the blinds in the morning, stirring her awake, Katniss found herself in an unexpected although not at all unpleasant position.

Peeta had his arms wrapped around her. Only a few weeks ago, she would have recoiled at such close physical contact but now she reveled in it, feeling strangely secure.

Unfortunately, her slight movement was enough to awake Peeta as well and his blue eyes quickly opened, widening in surprise once he realized their position.

"Katniss, i'm sorry, I..."

"Don't," she said, cutting him of. "Don't apologize. You didn't lose control."

And it was true. They had both slept soundly throughout the night, no hijack relapses bothering them or even nightmares.

She could still sense a hint of conflict in his eyes but in the end, to her relief, he gave in with a small smile.

"Alright," he replied softly, closing his eyes once more, not releasing his grasp on her. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep again.

Eventually, Katniss's own tiredness began to take a toll on her as well and that along with the feeling of safety and security that had washed over her caused her to close her eyes and go back to sleep as well.

They never slept in different rooms again.


End file.
